The Young Guns Network, and its YG Action Fund, were started by two former aides to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

The Young Guns have infuriated supporters of Richard Mourdock in the Indiana Senate primary race, as well as many conservatives who had no stake in the race, by spending over $100,000 to send out anti-Mourdock mailers, including one which encouraged non-Republicans to vote in the primary to support Lugar.

A reader in Indiana sent me this image of a mailer he received, which he marked up to express his feelings:

While the Young Guns are solely responsible for the mailer, the taint is falling on Cantor, who had no role in the mailer and has not endorsed any candidate.

Stories at major publications and in the blogosphere about the mailer revolve around the fact that the Young Guns is associated with or somehow related to Cantor:

National Review: “Mourdock’s camp is responding to news, first reported by Politico’s Maggie Haberman, that the Young Guns Network, a political-advocacy group led by two former aides to Representative Eric Cantor, is encouraging independents and Democrats to vote for Lugar in Indiana’s open GOP primary on May 8.”

It is unlikely that the mailer will have much of an effect in bringing out the Democratic vote for Lugar in large numbers — although if the election were really tight even a small Democratic cross-over might make a difference.

The greatest effect of the mailer is to portray Cantor — unfairly — as committing the ultimate political sin of urging Democrats to decide a Republican election. I e-mailed these questions to Young Guns yesterday, requesting a response in time for this post:

1. Why does Young Guns consider it appropriate to urge Democrats and Independents to vote in the open Republican primary to support Lugar?

2. Are you concerned that the actions of Young Guns will damage Majority Leader Cantor?

3. Does Majority Leader Cantor support the efforts of Young Guns with regard to the Lugar-Mourdock race?

4. Will Young Guns be contributing any additional funding or mailers to the effort to elect Lugar?

The small details in that race are irrelevant. The big glaring detail is that GOPE types are always telling conservatives to work within the party and support the establishment candidate should they lose. This should be reciprocated when conservatives WIN THE NOMINATION.

However, when Miller won the GOP nomination, Murkowsky refused to concede and then the RNC and Rovians stepped in to persuade her to run as an independent and FUNDED HER CAMPAIGN.

Maybe you “followed that race closely” but sometimes you have to take a few steps back to see the elephant. You might have been standing too close.

When I post links like the one you provided, I am chastised mercilessly by the many nose holders who just can’t seem to let go of their GOPE security blankets. To these people, the only real conservative is a liberal and the only real Republican is a Democrat. So we end up having to choose between one of two Democrats every four years and can’t figure out why no matter how we vote we end up in the same place, bigger and more intrusive government and skyrocketing debt. The concept of “you get what you vote for” never enters into their logic.

2. Coalition politics is essential in a country whose elections are decided by independent voters. Part of coalition politics is to induce, by stick or carrot, without sacrificing essential principles, people at the periphery to stay rather than leave.

RINOs have an inherent advantage because they are less encumbered by principle than conservatives, who disagree among themselves almost as much as they disagree with Democrats. It takes high-caliber conservative leadership to overcome the RINO advantage.

The republicans have never been comfortable giving up their hold on power. Can’tor is a Republican, not a conservative. I guess this is another sign of the Country Club Republicans fighting to preserve their ideas about ruining America.

1. I grant it’s improbable that Cantor has given a wink and nod to the YGs—but politics makes strange bedfellows. Indeed Cantor should address the issue and

a. As a Congressional leader (in the other house yet), express neutrality in this Senate race, and
b. Disavow all attempts to bring in Democrats to settle Republican elections.

2. Sounds like the Young Guns need adult supervision.

3. Maybe it’s just me, but the linked page at the YG Action Fund seems kinda Triumph of the Will creepy. Not a bunch of people gathered on their own behalf, but a crowd looking at a distant raised lit platform

Boehner and Cantor both make little mewing sounds of criticism about Obama and we’re supposed to think this will put a stop to the Obama train wreck. Neither of them are fit to lead and hopefully can be replaced with conservatives that walk the walk instead of trying to talk the talk.

Even if Cantor had no knowledge of the Young Guns actions I find it hard to believe he disapproves because of actual beliefs. If it’s to protect his own butt I’m sure he disapproves.

Part of coalition politics is to induce, by stick or carrot, without sacrificing essential principles, people at the periphery to stay rather than leave.

If the RINO’s [who I tend to call the “Institutionals”] have no principles guiding their actions; then there is no carrot, and a limited stick to hold Conservatives into the party. If we Conservatives are to be sabotaged by what purports to be our own side every time we win, and expected to rally around those who stab us in the back as they collaborate with the Democrats; that is surely some coalition.

I agree that the first priority is to defeat Obama, if he will accept being defeated electorally. If he will not, them that places us in another equation. But it by no means follows automatically that removing Obama and replacing him with Romney is a Conservative victory or that there is a welcome place for Conservatives in the Republican party.

Assuming a Romney victory, we can anticipate that the battle to preserve the Constitution will continue unabated. And that the Institutionals will battle on based on their lack of principles.

[…] Guns” Support Old RINO Posted on April 30, 2012 5:30 pm by Bill Quick » Young Guns aiming for Richard Mourdock, but hitting Eric Cantor – Le·gal In&mid… The Young Guns Network, and its YG Action Fund, were started by two former aides to House Majority […]

I would think Cantor is smart enough politically that if he did not approve of what the Young Guns were doing, he would disassociate himself from it. If he is not technically any part of the group and has no direct influence on its decisions, he should make that clear.

Keeping quiet is trying to have it both ways, being able to claim you weren’t involved but still earning Lugar’s appreciation if he should win a close one.